10 fresh dengue cases in Patiala; health officials stress fogging

Patiala, October 6

With 10 fresh dengue cases being reported in the district, the total number of infections in the city has risen to 108.

Of new cases, four were from rural areas and six from urban areas. In the urban areas, three cases have been reported from Patiala city while the remaining are from councils.

This is while the Health Department, Patiala, has been stressing on the identification of dengue larvae and use of larvicide besides carrying out dengue dry day activities for checking stagnation of water across the district.

Epidemiologist Dr Sumeet today said the number of dengue mosquito bites had increased in the district. “Now fogging has become essential to kill adult larvae. We have been informing the Municipal Corporation to carry out fogging activities across the city. People are also advised to wear full-sleeve clothes along with using mosquito repellents.”

Municipal Health Officer Jasveer Kaur said, “We are carrying out fogging in the city. The Coprporation has 25 hand-held and 3 other machines that are mounted on vehicles. We are also identifying hotspots and carrying out special fogging activity there.”

Meanwhile, Dr Prashant Bhatt, Senior Consultant, Internal medicine at Manipal hospitals said, “Due to the change in season, we are witnessing a sudden increase in the number of cases of dengue in the city. It is a vector-borne disease that spreads through the bite of a particular type of mosquito called Aedes aegypti. This mosquito is active mostly in the morning and evening, which increases the risk factors. People should maintain sanitation and keep nearby areas dry. They should also avoid wearing short-sleeved clothes. Moreover, children are at greater risk as they often go out to play”.